Operation Jolly Old Elf
by highlands girl
Summary: It is Christmas time in Trenton and Stephanie asks Santa Claus for help in finding the perfect gift for Ranger. Babe story.
1. Chapter 1

_Almost all the characters belong to Janet. Merry Christmas to all!_

Santa stretched and shifted in his overstuffed chair. It had been a long but productive afternoon. More than 25 children had sat on his lap and whispered their heartfelt wishes into his ear. Each had left with a warm pair of gloves and a hat, just in time for winter in Trenton, as well as a dozen home baked Christmas cookies.

Santa worked a red and white striped candy cane at the corner of his mouth while he thoughtfully regarded his handwritten list. With just a week to go before the big day, the "elves" should be able to make short work of these requests, and provide some surprises as well. He noticed though, that one name seemed to be missing from his list.

The girl with the curly brown hair had stuck close to him all day, but she hadn't made any requests. She had no reason to be shy. She wasn't on the naughty list, Santa felt sure of that.

Almost instinctively, Santa reached out and wrapped his arms around the girl's waist, pulling her into his lap. His green eyes twinkled and he waggled his eyebrows as he growled, "Stephanie, come tell Santa your heart's desires."

"Lester!" shrieked Stephanie as she playfully smacked his chest. "You startled me!"

"Sorry, Beautiful," chuckled Santa. "This was such a great day. You should be proud."


	2. Chapter 2

**Stephanie's POV**

The idea had started with a skip. Sue Ann Stinnett, a 26 year-old mother of two and a part-time receptionist at Logan Insurance Agency, had been arrested for shoplifting. The bond was low but the apprehension promised to be easy. Non-violent crime, no resisting arrest, no priors … it seemed unlikely that I would wind up rolling in garbage to bring this one in.

As I studied the photo in the file Connie had given me, I was struck that the perky blond looked more like a soccer mom than a shoplifter. In fact, maybe she was a soccer mom. With a little research, I learned that her five and six year old sons attended the same elementary school as Mary Lou's boys did. No minivan though … according to the DMV, she drove a 2001 silver Honda Accord.

In the end, it was Mary Lou who came up with the almost-guaranteed-to be-foolproof apprehension plan. It was a have-it-all-wrapped-up-by-10-am-and-make-it-to-the-mall-for-Christmas-shopping kind of plan. We were in Mare's kitchen, drinking coffee. Well, I was drinking coffee and eating freshly baked banana chocolate chip muffins and she was folding towels. I was amazed at the piles of laundry generated by a household with three kids. Mare just shrugged. "Goes with the job," she said. Suddenly, she stopped folding. "Car pool line."

"I thought you said I couldn't pick her up at school," I replied.

"You can't. That might scare the kids," Mary Lou said. "But you can spot in her in the car pool line and then follow her to the office or wherever she goes after she drops off the kids. When she gets out of the car, you tell her she needs to go with you to reschedule her court date."

That's how I came to be sitting across from Lincoln Elementary at 740 am on a Tuesday in late November. My current vehicle was a step up from the POS cars I usually drove. The yellow RAV4 had hardly any rust and the heater worked so well that I had to shed my down jacket while I watched the cars enter the parking lot and pull up to the school's front door.

At 0752, I watched as a silver Accord pulled up to the school and 2 boys wearing Spider Man backpacks hopped out. When the Accord turned left out of the parking lot, I shifted the RAV4 into drive and followed.

We were 3 blocks from the insurance agency when Sue Ann made an unexpected detour. She eased her car into an empty metered parking spot in front of the Starbucks on Liberty. It figures that it was the only open spot in the next three blocks. _What had I done to make the parking gods hate me?_

Cursing under my breath, I gave up and headed three blocks west and parked on a side street. In a hurry, I left my jacket in the car and jogged back toward the coffee shop. I broke into what might pass for a sprint and I reached Liberty in time to see her exit Starbucks, both hands clasped around a large, steaming red paper cup.

I was still a half a block away when Sue Ann reached her car. She paused, her back to me and took a tentative sip from the cup. I was out of breath, but managed to pant out my standard BEA greeting.

"Sue Ann Stinnett, my name is Stephanie Plum and I represent Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. You missed your court date."

I guess I should be grateful than Sue Ann didn't run. She didn't even make a move to get into her car. She just stood, her back to me, inhaling the steam from her cup.

I tried again, this time a little louder. "Mrs. Stinnett, My name is Stephanie-" I reached out to give her shoulder a little tap. The skip let out a little yelp and turned sharply.

Too late, I realized that the steam I saw meant that there was no lid on the cup Sue Ann held. A second later, I realized that she didn't really have a firm grip on the cup.

"Shit. Shit. SHIT! Why did you have to sneak up on me like that? You made me spill my peppermint mocha!"

An uncomfortably warm brown stain was spreading across the front of my favorite baby blue turtleneck sweater. I stared at Sue Ann and plucked at the fabric, pulling it away from my skin. The empty cup was on the sidewalk between us, and a small puddle of chocolately liquid had pooled near of the toe of my boot.

"It had extra whipped cream and candy cane sprinkles!"

I looked down. Little globs of whipped cream had started to ooze down my chest and the bits of red and white candy were scattered across my chest like shrapnel. _Jeesh. Leave it to Christmas to bring out the crazy in people._

"OK, " I sighed wearily and I waved my hand at her. "I'll wait. Go get another one and then we'll go downtown and get you rebonded."

"You don't understand. I waited all year for that peppermint mocha. I normally can't afford to buy coffee here, but last April, a client at the insurance company where I work gave me a five-dollar gift card for my birthday. I've been saving it to buy a peppermint mocha. For 7 months, I've been dreaming about celebrating Christmas with a peppermint mocha and you ruined it!" A tear rolled down Sue Ann's cheek.

A few minutes later, we were back in the coffee shop and I was handing over my debit card. While we waited at the end of the counter for 2 large peppermint mochas, extra whipped cream, extra candy cane sprinkles, my curiosity got the best of me. "Not that it's any of my business, but what's up with the shoplifting? You don't seem like the type."

Sue Ann hesitated and nibbled nervously on her lower lip. "I'm really sorry about that. I just didn't see any other way …." Her voice trailed off and she blinked rapidly, trying to hold off more tears.

"You don't have to apologize to me, ok? We don't even have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"But I didn't know they would grow so fast! I thought maybe their coats from last year would be ok, because I try to buy them a little big, or at least Caleb could wear the coat that Seth had outgrown, but it didn't fit. What kind of mother can't make sure that her children have proper winter coats?"

"Sue Ann, do you mean to tell me that you were shoplifting winter coats for your children?"

"Not just coats," she sobbed. "Gloves too!"

Briefly, I wondered if Sue Ann was a single mom. God knows Valerie had some hard times after her husband Steve took off with the babysitter and all of their money. _If my parents hadn't been around to help_ … I shuddered a little bit. "What about the boys' dad? Doesn't he help you?"

Sue Ann sniffled. "He would be so disappointed in me. He trusts me to take care of our boys while he is in Iraq."

"Wait, is your husband in the military?"

"Army," said Sue Ann proudly.

Now I knew what it was like to live paycheck to paycheck but I was confused. "But I don't understand. Your husband has a good job. You have a job …" I let my voice trail off. Sue Ann's financial woes were really none of my business.

Sue Ann shrugged. "Lots of military families struggle financially, Steph. We started out with some debt, mainly my student loans. I borrowed a lot of money to get a degree in English from a private liberal arts college in Ohio. I had a great college experience but I don't exactly have a lot of marketable skills. I can only work part time here because a babysitter or after school care for the boys takes more money per hour than I make after taxes at the insurance agency. Right after Derek was deployed, our car needed some expensive repairs and it took what little savings we had."

We sipped our mochas in silence for a few minutes. "Why didn't you just show up in court and explain this to the judge?" I asked her softly.

"I meant to go, I really did. I took off work and everything. But then the school called and said Seth was throwing up and I had to go and pick him up. We don't have any family here and there wasn't anyone else I could call for help." She paused for a moment. "For the whole afternoon, I sat at home and waited for the police to come and arrest me for missing my court date. When they didn't, I figured maybe they had lost my file, or the store had decided not to press charges … or something," she finished weakly.

I just nodded. Denial was my friend too. It was turning out that Sue Ann and I had a lot in common.

Sue Ann drove us to the station. Hey, it's a little unconventional to have the skip drive but her car was closer than mine. On the way, I called Connie and asked her to meet us at there. "Connie will get you bonded out quickly and you can get to work for a few hours today," I told Sue Anne as we waited for Officer Robin Russell to initiate the re-booking paperwork.

Before I turned to go, I pressed a piece of paper into her hand. "The first number is for an attorney named Albert Kloughn. He's my brother-in-law ... call him and I'll make sure you get the family discount." Sue Ann nodded gratefully.

"Then there's my number and the number for my best friend Mary Lou. Her boys go to the same school as yours do. Maybe you two could carpool sometime, or I bet she wouldn't mind having your kids after school if you get stuck late at work."

"Now you have people you can call," I told her.

"Thanks again, Steph. I'm really sorry about your sweater."

"No worries, Sue Ann. It comes with the job. Fortunately, I have a friend with mad laundry skills!" _I had Mary Lou, after all. Although a clothing disaster of this magnitude might require Ella._

My plan was to call Ranger to pick me up and drive me back to my car. The tingle at the back my neck as I exited the police station told me that a call was unnecessary.

As usual, Ranger had managed the parking spot closest to the door. He was out of the car, leaning against the Turbo with his arms crossed against his chest. The black Armani suit and the black wool coat told me that he had probably spent the morning seeing clients. _Yum._ _Corporate Ranger was my favorite, right after naked, sweaty Cuban sex god Ranger_.

I saw the corners of Ranger's mouth tip up fractionally. I was pretty sure I hadn't said that out loud. Maybe he was just happy to see me. "Always, Babe," Ranger said. "I was hoping you would have lunch with me at Pino's. But now I'm thinking that a long hot shower followed by a quick lunch on seven might be a better plan."

He uncrossed his arms as I approached him and he leaned forward to nip a kiss just below my ear. His eyes widened in surprise when I stiffened and took a step back before his lips actually made contact. I poked my index finger into his chest. "Not so fast _Colonel Manoso_, We need to talk about your Army!"

_tbc_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Many thanks to latetolove for serving as a beta on this chapter (and providing much encouragement!). All mistakes are mine. **

**Ranger's POV**

"Babe." I raised my hands in protest. I know Stephanie hated my one word answers but honestly, sometimes she left me utterly speechless.

She had never called me Colonel Manoso before. In fact, I was surprised that she even knew my rank. My work with the Army was the only part of my life that she never, ever quizzed me about. She knew that much of my work was classified, and probably always would be.

I arched an eyebrow at her.

"Overheard Tank on the phone one day, last time you were, um, out of town," she told me crisply.

I let my eyes linger on her ruined sweater. Ok, to be truthful, I was insanely interested on what was beneath the ruined sweater, but _Dios,_ that color made her eyes look impossibly blue.

If I'd been thinking a little more clearly while I stared at her chest, I would have realized that she was cold. Damp sweater, windy November day … and the signs were right of front of me. Her shivering suddenly pulled me back to reality.

"Babe," I said again. _I'm being a selfish ass, and we need to get you warmed up_, was what I meant to say.

I took off my coat and wrapped it around her. "Hey," she protested. "I'll get this mess all over your coat."

Gently, I angled her into the passenger seat of the Turbo. She didn't argue when I brushed a soft kiss across her lips as I clicked the seat belt around her.

Once I was settled on my side of the car, I glanced over at Stephanie and waited. _You ready to talk?_ I waited with my _'you ready to talk?'_ look.

She was looking at me thoughtfully. "I'll talk while you drive," she said. "But no slipping into your "zone" today, ok? I need you to listen."

The drive from TPD to Haywood is short, no more than 15 minutes when most of the usual and customary traffic rules are obeyed. We made it in 10, and by the time we pulled into the Rangeman garage, Steph had twisted in her seat to face me. Her face was flushed, and occasionally she waved her arms, as if to punctuate a point.

"It's not fair, Ranger. Our soldiers are risking their lives for our country; for _us_. We owe them the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their families will be taken care of until they make it home." She paused and drummed her fingers on the console. "Just like you know Tank will take care of Rangeman for you when you get called away."

_Just like I know Tank will take care of you, Babe._

"Sue Ann can't seem to afford the necessities, let alone Christmas presents for her boys. I wonder how many other families there are in Trenton just like hers?"

When we made it to seven, Steph stopped in the foyer of the apartment. As she let my coat slide off her shoulders, little bits of what looked like candy cane hit the marble floor, scattering in every direction. "I told you this was going to make a mess," she muttered.

She sighed and toed off her boots and then her socks. She unsnapped her jeans and wiggled as she pushed them down over her hips. Almost automatically, she reached out for my arm to steady herself as she pulled out one leg and then the other. The tingle when she touched my skin was more than static electricity … more like one notch short of Taser. Carefully, she started rolling the hem of her sweater, trying to contain the remaining debris, before she tugged the sweater over her head.

Suddenly she was standing in front of me, wearing nothing but a lacy lime green bra and a matching thong. The pebbling of her nipples visible through the sheer fabric of her bra told me that she was still cold … or something. She held the rolled up sweater in her hand uncertainly.

I reached out to take it from her and said simply, "I'll take care of it."

She smiled at me. "You always do, Batman."

Our eyes locked for a moment, and then hers traveled downward to rest briefly on a very conspicuous bulge in my pants. Now I had worked for years to perfect what Steph called my "blank face." _Never let your opponent see your emotions._ It was an effective strategy, and I was good at it. So good that my friends and family rarely saw my emotions either.

Steph was different. Her face telegraphed her emotions like an electronic billboard in Times Square. Today, emotions were flashing in quick succession. There was longing, only briefly visible, but I know I saw longing there. It was followed by indecision, and finally resignation and resolute determination.

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. "I'll just take a quick shower, ok?"

I tipped my head in a barely perceptible nod to show that I understood. "I'll make that phone call."

Twenty minutes later, Steph appeared at the door of my bedroom, wrapped in a towel. Her face was framed with damp brown ringlets and her cheeks were pink from the heat of the shower. The rosy swell of her breasts above the edge of the white terry cloth had me seriously questioning my decision not to join her in the shower.

"Omigod, that smells good. Is Ella cooking us bacon for lunch?" She sounded surprised.

"Nope. It's guanciale, and I'm making lunch. Ella is out this afternoon." _Looking for a baby blue cashmere sweater that matches your eyes._

She watched as I added garlic, onion and red pepper flakes to the pan and gave them a stir before adding crushed tomatoes.

"You're making bucatini all'amatriciana?" I just nodded and shook the sauté pan gently on the stove.

She shook her head incredulously. "Ricardo Carlos Manoso, you never cease to amaze me. Let me guess. You learned to make it in Italy?"

"Newark," I told her with a smirk. My grandparents were Cuban but my father's brother married an Italian woman from Brooklyn. They lived down the street from us when I was growing up. I opened my mouth to tell Steph about my Aunt Elena. "I laid out some clothes for you on the bed," came out instead.

I drained the pasta and tossed it with the sauce while Stephanie disappeared into my bedroom to dress. A few minutes later, she emerged in black yoga pants, a stretchy, electric blue t-shirt, and a black Rangeman fleece. "You forgot my underwear," she scolded.

"No," I told her with a smile. "That's impossible. Your underwear is unforgettable."

I had made the call Stephanie had requested plus two of my own while she was in the shower. I was promised more information by 1600, and we could make little progress with Stephanie's plan until then. We ate at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, and Stephanie twirled the bucatini around her fork in a fashion that would have made her Italian ancestors proud. Unfortunately, her vocal appreciation of the lunch, I had made for us, did little to ease the hard on I had been sporting since we arrived on seven. When her tongue slipped out to catch a bit of sauce at the edge of her mouth, I almost lost it.

Finally she put her fork down on the table and sighed. "That was really delicious, Ranger. You know, I have been wishing that Ella would adopt me, but, now that I know that you can cook like that, maybe _you_ should adopt me instead."

"Adopt you?" The tightness in my pants suddenly eased a bit. I thought I had made it clear that my intentions were anything but parental, but then again, I had often been told that my communications skills were lacking.

Her tone was serious. "Think about it, Ranger. You're already my self-appointed guardian, and God only knows how much money I've cost you over the years. Maybe this way you could take it as a tax deduction."

She slid off her chair and grabbed our plates, turning to rinse them in the sink before placing them into the dishwasher. Suddenly, with her back still turned to me, she let out an excited squeal.

"Julie and I would get to spend more time together because we would be stepsisters! It's a perfect plan!" Like I said, she leaves me utterly speechless.

She threw a backwards glance over her shoulder. "Of course, Ella always makes dessert. She knows how important that is to me. You did plan for dessert didn't you?"

_Fuck. Master strategist Carlos Manoso did not plan for dessert. I planned for us to have meatball subs at your favorite restaurant, Babe. Fortunately, Ella had saved my ass again._

"Ice cream for dessert. We have Ben and Jerry's in the freezer."

"Chubby Hubby?" Steph asked hopefully. When she turned back to me, I could see the sparkle in her eye, and her shoulders were shaking with laughter.

"Never gonna happen, Babe."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Many thanks to latetolove for continuing to be a diligent (and patient!) beta. All mistakes are mine. Spoilers through Explosive Eighteen.**_

**Stephanie's POV**

"Operation Jolly Old Elf!" Tank's rumbling baritone filled Ranger's living room. "Count me in." Ranger's contact had called the control room with a list of names of local military families with children, and he apparently knew some of them could use a little Christmas cheer. Tank brought the names to seven shortly after we had finished lunch. "You the CO for this mission, RangeMan?"

Ranger squeezed my hand and shot me an almost smile. "No. Stephanie."

Tank looked at me expectantly.

"CO?" I asked Ranger.

"Commanding Officer, Babe."

"Me?" I managed to squeak out.

"Yes, ma'am." Tank snapped to attention and seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

"What do I do now? Why is Tank looking at me like that?"

Ranger was happy to elaborate. "Standard military decision-making process. There are seven steps. Step one is complete. Mission received. Tank will put the rest of the team on alert. Step two is Mission Analysis. Basically, you, as the CO, tell us what you want to accomplish. Step three is Course of Action Development. We produce a comprehensive, flexible plan within our time constraints. We examine our assets, and we assign resources. We plan for contingencies in case the unexpected happens." Military Ranger's words were serious, all business. I wasn't expecting to see the 200-watt smile. It made my heart skip a beat … or ten.

"You go through these steps every time you have a mission?" I asked. _If Ranger kept smiling at me like that, I was going to need CPR._

Ranger nodded his assent and added, "Of course, we might not need step four." He looked thoughtful, while Tank just looked disappointed.

"What's step four ?"

"War Games, Babe."

The mission objective was pretty simple. I wanted to bring some happy to Sue Ann's family and families like hers. I wanted them to feel surrounded by caring friends at the holidays, and I wanted Santa to leave piles of presents under their Christmas trees. But first Santa needed to know what to bring. Right?

To that end, we would invite the families on Tank's list to eat breakfast with Santa. "We have to have pancakes," I said.

Tank rubbed his hands over his bald head. "Pancakes are essential to the success of this mission? Explain."

I shrugged. "Everybody loves pancakes."

Things happened quickly after that. While I was in the shower, Ranger arranged for us to have Shorty's all to ourselves for three hours on the Saturday two weeks before Christmas. Robin Russell volunteered to collect donations of hats and mittens from the Trenton Police Department, while Mary Lou proposed providing each family with a gift certificate for a Christmas ham from Giovichinni's. Tank had decided that Christmas cookies were also essential to the success of the mission, so Ella baked cookies. My mom and Valerie baked cookies. Hell, even Hal baked cookies. Who knew?

Naturally, all of the Merry Men wanted to be Santa Claus. After a complicated contest of elimination that involved the gym, the gun range and a Saturday night poker game, Lester emerged victorious. I guess we really did need War Games after all.

I had no competition for the role of Santa's helper. As Lester pulled me onto his lap, I reached down and adjusted the skirt of the dress Ella had made for me. I loved it. It was made of emerald green velvet, fitted in the waist and sleeves with a skirt that flared slightly at the hips. The scooped neckline was trimmed with soft white fur that hid a hint of cleavage. I'd paired it with pink and white candy cane striped tights and ankle boots.

I think that Ranger liked it, too. When he had picked me up this morning, he'd taken one long look at me before planting a toe-curling kiss on my lips. "Utterly enchanting," he had said. I had a feeling I might get more use out of this dress than Ella had intended.

Surprisingly, the morning had gone off without a hitch. It seemed that every Merry Man not on duty today turned up to help serve pancakes, along with Connie, Lula, Mary Lou and the entire Plum clan. We didn't need to execute a single contingency plan, even though Grandma finding the karaoke machine was unexpected. I think everybody really loved her lusty rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

Sue Ann had come, Caleb and Seth in tow. As the boys had giggled and squirmed on Santa's lap, she caught me in shy hug. "Thank you so much for doing this," she whispered. "There's only one thing that could make this Christmas more perfect."

I wondered if Ranger was thinking about the holidays that he had spent far from home. I looked up, our eyes met, and we had a perfect ESP moment. _Beyond the scope of our mission, Babe._ I heard him as clearly as if he had spoken out loud. Then, in a sudden moment of clarity, I knew. No, I understood. The sad look in eye wasn't about the Christmases he had missed. It was about the soldiers who never came home. Colonel Manoso couldn't make this last wish of Sue Ann's come true. For once, this was something Batman couldn't fix. Hell, this was beyond even Santa Claus. I sent a silent prayer heavenward, hoping that despite all of my past transgressions, God was still accepting messages from me. Maybe what I read in the newspaper was really true, and all the troops would be home soon.

Now Shorty's was empty save for Lester and me. The guests had gone. When the control room called about an alarm at a Rangeman client, Ranger disappeared like smoke with Hector and Woody. Tank and Bobby were in the parking lot, stowing the last of our things in a black SUV.

"Tell me, Beautiful," said Lester as he settled me on his lap. "What would you like Santa to bring you for Christmas? A shiny red sports car?"

"With my luck with cars? Not a chance!" I ducked my head and batted my eyes at him. "Besides, my favorite color is blue."

"Something nice with diamonds and platinum then?"

"Not my style," I answered not quite truthfully. Almost subconsciously, I rubbed the ring finger on left hand. The mark had faded with my tan, but sometimes I thought I could still see it. A couple of times after that ill-fated trip to Hawaii and the undercover stint Ranger and I did as husband and wife, I momentarily panicked when I glanced at that finger and thought I had lost my ring. Then I quickly remembered that it didn't belong there …we were just playing.

"I would totally put a ring on that," said Lester in a serious tone. "Of course, Mrs. Claus wouldn't be too happy about it."

"Who knew Santa was such a player," I joked with Lester.

"Hey, I am surrounded by constant temptation, what with all the beautiful elves in short green dresses."

Lester pulled me back and snuggled me into his chest protectively. "So no sports car and no diamonds. Maybe you're wishing for this season's hottest action figure?"

"This season's, last season's … there really only one action hero for me," I mumbled into his red velvet suit.

"He does love you, Steph, You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. In his own way."

Lester looked honestly confused. "How else would he love you?" Then he tightened his grip and whispered in a husky voice before he began to tickle me mercilessly, "Of course,_ his_ way probably doesn't hold a candle to the Santos way!"

Lester's tickles quickly had me gasping for air. "Stop, STOP. Can't breathe. Need your help." Lester stopped. "I have a problem and only you can help me solve it." I had his attention. "You, Santa, the world's expert on gift giving, can advise me on the perfect Christmas gift for Ranger.

Lester didn't hesitate. "I could tie you up in nothing but a Christmas ribbon and leave you under his tree. I bet he would love that."

"No way," I muttered. I know from past experience that Ranger would definitely appreciate the tied up part._ That man could be very creative with restraints. Been there, done that. Not going there again until I understood where __**we**__ where going. That is, if we were going anywhere. _

"Damn, Beautiful." Lester shifted uncomfortably in the chair and repositioned me on his lap a little closer to his knees and little farther away from his crotch.

I sat up straight and faced him. "So really, what do you get for the man who has everything?"

Lester hesitated. "Does he really have everything, Beautiful? Where do you stand with Morelli?"

I sighed. Joe had forgiven me after Hawaii, but then he gave me an ultimatum. If I loved him, I would quit my job at Vinnie's and stay away from Ranger and Rangeman. I did love Joe, I really did. It was obvious to both of us, though, that I didn't love him enough. We had moved from on again, to off again, to over.

As for Ranger, he had made it clear that he wasn't sending me back to Joe, but he wasn't exactly claiming me for himself either. Oh, he let me know that I was welcome in his bed. I just wasn't sure about where I fit into the rest of his life.

For the time being, I wasn't asking. So when we ran into one another at the bonds office, he kissed me senseless. On days when I did searches at Rangemen, we had lunch at Pino's, sometimes just the two us, and sometimes with an assortment of Merry Men. We went dancing after a distraction …and then I didn't talk to him for a week. Once, after he'd been in the wind for almost a month, Ranger showed up at my apartment with Chinese, and we'd watched a movie. He had put his arm around me, kissed the top of my head and said, "missed you, Babe." We never talked about the fact that he had been away or when he might need to go again. I had no idea what he wanted from me. So while I tried to figure it out, I did my best to avoid temptation and stayed away from Ranger's bed … mostly.

"He's built these emotional barriers, Les. I think he's going to let me get close, and then he pulls away. Most of the time, I have no idea what he's thinking. Sometimes, I wonder how well I really know him. It seems that there is a side of him that he is determined for me_ not_ to know."

"You can't imagine how hard it was for him every time you went back to Morelli," Lester said.

"And you can't image how hard it was for me every time he _sent_ me back to Morelli!" I answered angrily.

"So now you've given up the dream of 2.5 kids, the white picket fence and the house in the Burg for Ranger?"

"I never wanted that, so I didn't have to give it up. Not that Ranger would ever expect me to give up that, or anything else, for him."

Lester sighed. "Beautiful, the worst day of Ranger's life … do you know what it was?

Given Ranger's line of work, I figured there had been lots of bad days, most of which I would never know about. I took a wild guess. "The day that Scrog shot him?"

"Nope. That was a bad day but not the worst. He knew that Scrog had you and Julie in your apartment, but he was confident that he could rescue you. The fact that he might have to die in the process was just a detail to him."

Lester shifted me on his lap again, this time so that we were face to face. "The worst day was my fault, the day that Stiva grabbed you. Hal was assigned to….. " His voice trailed off uncertainly. "Hal was in the control room that day when your tracker went off line at the funeral home. But it was supposed to be me. I was the one who was supposed to be watching out for you that day, but I traded shifts with Hal. For hours, we couldn't turn up any leads on where he might have taken you. Ranger had lost control over the situation, and that doesn't happen very often. Then he saw you in that cabinet and thought you were dead …"

"But even then, he sent me straight back to Joe." A tear rolled down my cheek.

"I figured his rationale was that you would be safer with Morelli. He wants you in his life, Steph, but he needs to figure out how to let you in and keep you safe at the same time."

"He values my safety above my happiness," I whispered sadly.

Lester touched my chin and pressed his lips to my forehead. "And his, Beautiful. He'll forfeit his own happiness, if that's what it takes to keep you from harm."

"Ranger Manoso must be a very generous man," a disturbingly familiar voice sounded from across the room. "For years he shared you with the cop. Now he gets to share you with Santa Claus!"

Joyce Barhardt stalked toward us; the stiletto heels on her thigh high green leather boots clicking on the wooden floor. She wore a red leather miniskirt and a white sequined sweater that accentuated her silicone –induced assets, while around her neck she had a string of blinking, multicolored Christmas lights. The green elf hat perched on her flaming red hair was similar to mine except for the sprig of mistletoe affixed to the peak.

"Now there's a dark elf if I ever saw one," I muttered.

Joyce licked her lips and smiled as she approached us. _Predator stalking her prey. _I had to suppress a shiver.

"Now, now, Stephanie Plum. Not even you are going to spoil my Christmas fun this year."

It was then that we noticed the big black bag she was dragging behind her. Lester kept one hand protectively on my hip, while his other hand went to the small of his back. _Santa was apparently packing heat!_

Joyce plopped the bag down in front of us, hands on her hips. Those damn blinking lights were threatening to blind me.

"The manager at Toy Palace and I are _close_. Al was holding some things back, you know, thinking he'd get top price on Christmas Eve. I persuaded him to make a donation."

_Eeeeewww_. I had some unfortunate familiarity with Joyce's ability to persuade men. She'd been able to get more than one _donation_ from my ex-husband The Dick.

"Five of every sold out toy this year," she continued. "Dancing Elmos, Holiday Barbies, LeapPads, Spidey web blasters." She wrinkied her forehead. "Something called a Figit Friend."

Lester relaxed a little and spoke. "This is very generous of you, Joyce. But why are you doing this? What's your angle?"

I saw a subtle transformation in Joyce before she answered. It was slight, but definitely there at the corners of her eyes and maybe her mouth … it made her look almost human.

"My dad was in the military when I was growing up. We had some rough times, especially after his injury in the Gulf War."

Suddenly, all of the softness in Joyce was gone. "So," she purred to Lester. " Do I get my turn to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what a good girl I've been this year?"

_tbc_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: As always, all characters belong to JE. Many thanks to latetolove for bravely offering to serve as a beta for my first multi-chapter story. Without her help, Ranger would have veered off track in this chapter. All mistakes are mine. Spoilers through Explosive Eighteen.**_

**Ranger's POV**

"This is the last one." The packing tape dispenser made a scratchy sound as she drew it across the box. After she carefully printed a name on the box with a black Sharpie, Mary Lou Stankovic turned to me and said, "Can you take this one downstairs?"

I nodded to the woman who had been Stephanie's best friend since preschool. Mary Lou had brown hair but it was as straight as Steph's was curly, and it was shot through with a few blond highlights. She was almost as tall as Stephanie but three kids had left her curvier. Bigger breasts. Wider hips. Same Jersey Girl attitude.

I hadn't spent much time with Mary Lou before this week. When I had first met Steph, Mary Lou had definitely acted like she was afraid of me. Later, it had been harder to tell. There had been more wariness than fear, and maybe a touch of disapproval. She'd grown up in the Burg with Steph and Morelli, and she'd never left. In the epic Manoso-Morelli competition, I always figured she rooted for Morelli.

This week, I had seen Mary Lou nearly every day. The toys and gifts on Lester's list were purchased and stacked neatly on the table in the large conference room at Rangeman. It was Stephanie's idea that a small gift for the parent at home be included along with the gifts for the children. Mary Lou volunteered to oversee the wrapping of the gifts. The presents for each family were then packed in individual brown cardboard boxes. This was the best way, Mary Lou insisted, so that the children wouldn't see the gifts before they appeared beneath the tree on Christmas morning.

"You have amazing organizational skills," I told her. "We could use you at Rangeman."

"I'll keep that in mind," she told me with a smile. "Piece of cake compared to getting the kids ready for school in the morning and dinner on the table by six."

"Thanks for doing this for Steph," she told me hesitantly. "This was really important to her."

"Stephanie is the most caring, generous person I know. I'm glad that all of her friends could come together to help implement her ideas."

"True," Mary Lou agreed. "But it would have been so much harder without the financial support and other resources you provided."

"I would do anything for her," I answered truthfully.

"Huh." She was facing me, fingers tapping on the top of the box that she had just taped shut. She didn't look afraid of me now.

"You mean almost anything." It was a statement rather than a question and it caught me off guard. Nope, definitely not afraid of me now.

"Mary Lou, my life is complicated-"

Mary Lou pushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I get it, Ranger. I really do. You don't "do" relationships." She added some air quotes for emphasis. "You're married to the government, and they have you on a short leash. You always wear bad ass black so no one can see into the part of you that harbors all those deep, dark secrets."

I speak five languages but sometimes I had a little trouble understanding Burg. I think Mary Lou's words translated to "I can see through your bullshit," but without an interpreter, I couldn't be entirely sure.

"Look. I see what you do for her. Some people say you're a commitment-phobe but your actions suggest that you are more committed to Steph than Morelli ever was."

I could go with that. I gave a slight nod.

"Why are you afraid of letting her into your life? Afraid she won't like what she sees there?"

For that one, I didn't have an immediate answer.

Mary Lou continued." It would be rude of me to speculate about your finances, but I have the impression that money is rarely an object for you?" She looked me in the eye and waited.

"You've given her sports cars, nice clothes, fancy jewelry…" Her eyes narrowed there.

Ok, so one piece of the fancy jewelry Stephanie gave back. I told her just to keep the diamond and sapphire ring she wore in Hawaii. Stephanie looked at me and asked "Why? Why would I do that?" At the time, I didn't have an answer for her. The ring was on my desk the next day.

"Do both of you a favor this Christmas, ok? Keep your AMEX in your wallet, and just give her a little piece of what you've been holding back." Her voice softened a little. "Ranger, I love my life. Being a wife and mom. Being the so-called perfect Burg housewife, this is what I always wanted, and I'm good at it. Steph never wanted this. She could have had it with Morelli, but she made a different choice." She paused to make sure I was still with her. "She chose you," Mary Lou said with firm resolve.

Her unspoken words hung in the air. _So, Manoso, what are you going to do about it?_ She'd made a good point. I had some decisions to make.

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Many thanks to latetolove who continues to patiently fix my quirky spelling and grammar mistakes. She deserves a huge box of chocolates. Spoilers through Explosive Eighteen.**_

**Stephanie's POV**

_**Chapter 6**_

Since the pancake breakfast with Santa, Lester's words had been echoing in my head. According to Lester, all Ranger really wanted was to keep me safe. Finally, three days before Christmas, I had figured out the perfect gift for him. I just needed some help from Bobby.

_Can I see you on three?_ I texted.

_Ten minutes? You ok, Bombshell_?

_Yep. Just need to talk to you privately. _I replied.

_Oh. My. God._

"You're pregnant," Bobby said to me when I walked through the door.

"I AM NOT pregnant, Bobby! Why would you think that?" My eyes strayed to my stomach, and suddenly I regretted the third TastyCake that I'd had for breakfast.

"You taking your pills everyday?"

Ok, so sue me. I forget occasionally. But I had willpower. I didn't need the pills because I had been avoiding temptation …. mostly. "I need your help with Ranger's Christmas present, "I told him. I pulled a well-creased paper out of the front pocket of my cargos and unfolded it. "I'd like one of these," I said simply. "Will you help me?"

Bobby scanned reprint of the _New York Times_ article that I had handed him. He exhaled slowly and placed the paper on his desk.

"I understand they've become very popular in Mexico," I said hesitantly. "You know, to assist with a rescue in the event of a kidnapping."

The Rangeman medic shook his head. "You've spent the last three years losing your trackers, escaping from safe houses, and you even stunned one of your body guards."

It was true. I had once stunned Hal when Ranger tried to put me on lockdown and put Hal in charge of guarding me.

"Now you want an implantable global positioning device so that your precise location can be monitored 24/seven?"

I nodded, suddenly afraid that Bobby wasn't going to be willing to help with my plan.

He sighed. I'm not sure when the Merry Men started to sigh so much around me. He rubbed his temples before he spoke. "Steph, as radio frequency identification technology goes, this is pretty primitive. Maybe not first generation, but certainly not state-of-the-art." Bobby pointed to the photograph in the newspaper article. "See, only part of this device is implantable. It requires an external battery source to be carried in a watch or a key chain. That also houses the panic button. Lose the external part of the device and the GPS doesn't work. It's not any better than one of our best trackers."

"But now there's something better?"

"No and yes," he answered. "No, there is nothing better that a civilian can go online and purchase at this point in time." He hesitated. "Yes, there is something better but it's still considered experimental. The Department of Defense is conducting a small clinical trial working with select subcontractors."

I let his words sink in. "Like Rangeman?"

"They gave us three, and two are already in use. He hesitated before he answered my unspoken question. "Silvio and Ant-," he trailed off uncertainly. "Silvio and another guy from Miami. But listen, Steph. Like I said, it's experimental. There are potentially some risks involved. The tracker itself is about the size of a grain of rice, and it's inserted here with a syringe that uses compressed air." He squeezed the spongy tissue between my thumb and index finger. "The battery is inserted here." Bobby tapped my left arm just below my shoulder. "It requires a small incision, and it could leave a scar. There could be bleeding, or an infection could develop at either site. Your body could reject the device from an allergic reaction to the materials in the device. We think the battery is a lot like the battery used in a cardiac pacemaker, but the long term health risks are unknown at this point. That doesn't even begin to address the ethical issues."

"What do you mean, Bobby?"

He hesitated a moment before answering, choosing his words carefully. "Bombshell, there are people who argue that devices like these are just the first step in the government being able to track every move by ordinary citizens."

I couldn't help it. My voice notched up an octave. "The government will be monitoring me?"

"No," Bobby answered. "The only way Rangeman agreed to participate in the trial is if we maintained exclusive control over the live data feed. We just have to confirm periodically that the device is transmitting and the transmitted location matches the actual location." He studied my face a moment before continuing. "But there are those who say we shouldn't even be helping the government develop this kind of technology."

I wrinkled my forehead at Bobby. "So why are we helping them?"

Bobby smiled indulgently at my presumptive use of "we." "_We_ think these would be great for tracking bad guys." His face suddenly turned serious. "Of course there is a small chance that these same bad guys could hack into the GPS signal and use it to find you."

"Who's in charge of making sure that doesn't happen?" I asked.

"Hector," he answered.

"OK. So I have absolutely nothing to worry about. What do I do now?"

"This stack of papers is the consent form for the study. If you are still interested after you read it, you sign the paper. You can't get into the trial without a pregnancy test. No pregnant people allowed."

"Thank God Silvio's test was negative."

Suddenly Bobby was all business. "The effects of the device on an unborn child are unknown, and so it's really important that the subjects in the trial don't get pregnant. It's a 14 month commitment. The 12 months of the trial and for 2 months after."

"Not a problem for me, Bobby. I'm not planning on having children anytime soon."

Bobby cleared his throat. "Bomber, the rules are pretty specific."

I know my eyes widened when I caught his meaning. _Sugar. I was going to need lots and lots of sugar. Maybe I could just forgo the device and join a convent instead. Ranger would still know how to find me._

Bobby laughed. "Don't worry, Bomber. I don't mean abstinence. If you decide to stay on the pill, your, um partner, must also use a condom. Or, 4 times a year, I can give you a shot. "

_Anything but a freaking shot! I hate shots_ "I guess the shot will be ok," I mumbled. "So, Bobby, what other magnificent feats of bravery must be performed before I can get this gizmo?"

"Tank. You have to talk to Tank. He has the final say about who gets into the trial."

Suddenly, the shot seemed like a piece of cake.

In the end, I signed the papers, and Bobby sent me to the bathroom for my pregnancy test. After I had done my business, he took the stick from me and put it, result window down, on the counter by the sink.

I sat on the edge of the exam table, swinging my legs nervously, and after Bobby set a timer, he sat down next to me and pulled me into a friendly hug. I leaned in to him a little bit, willing him to understand I didn't want to talk about the tracker, and I didn't want to the think about the ticking timer. When he looked like he was about to say something, I elected for distraction. "Are you going to Princeton on Christmas Eve to have dinner with Anna and her family?" Anna and Bobby had been dating for nearly a year. She was completing her pediatric nurse practitioner training at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, but I'd heard she had a few days off to spend with her family in Princeton.

"Nah, not this year. I'm on evening monitor shift Christmas Eve and Christmas. Ranger really likes for the core team to cover holidays."

I nodded. I knew Ranger always worked Christmas. Momentarily distracted by thoughts of Ranger and mistletoe, I failed to ward off Bobby's next question.

"I don't understand why you want this Steph. Why would you want to give up your privacy? You can't just turn this off if you go the mall, or Point Pleasant or … Morelli's . We'll know. Ranger will know."

"I'm not going to Morelli's. Jeez, what is it with you guys and Morelli?_" _Bobby quirked an eyebrow at me, but let me continue._ "_And the rest doesn't matter."

"He would never ask you to do this, Bomber."

"Yep, I know. That's exactly why I'm going to do it."

The alarm buzzed and Bobby got up to look at my pregnancy test. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until he spoke. "Too bad for us. Having a little Bomber around would certainly make things more interesting, but it looks like you are going to get your chance to talk to Tank."

"Thanks, Bobby. You're the best. I'm not sure how I'll ever be able to thank you."

"Come back after you talk to Tank. Remember, if he agrees, I'll need to look at the insertion sites once a day for three days. That's tomorrow, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

"No," Tank said.

He was seated at his desk, his face completely impassive.

I was glad that I had chosen to remain standing. When we were both seated, Tank towered over me. I wanted to be able to look him in the eye. "Tell me why," I challenged him.

He steepled his fingers beneath his chin; a move I had seen Ranger do many times. I wondered briefly if that was something they had learned in Army Ranger School, or if it was part of Rangeman corporate bad ass training.

"No," he said again. "_You_ tell _me_ why."

"I get kidnapped a lot," I replied. "You guys always manage to rescue me, but sometimes you cut it a little close. Maybe I won't worry so much about you finding me in time."

"You read the consent, Steph? No guarantees that this will keep you safe."

"Give me some credit, Tank. Of course I read the consent. I understand the risks and the benefits." No need to tell Tank that the one benefit I was interested in wasn't mentioned anywhere in the consent.

"Ranger will be pissed if we let you do this," he countered.

"So it's okay for his brother Antonio, but not for me?"

"Antonio is a fulltime Rangeman employee."

"So am I; at least I was the last time I looked at my pay check."

"Antonio will still be an employee in a year. Will you, Stephanie?"

Tank's words stung, but I couldn't say he was being unfair. I had worked at Rangeman before, usually when Joe and I were in an "off again" period. Ranger had accepted my resignations and my eventual returns to Rangeman without comment and seemingly without judgment. Tank, on the other hand, apparently had some _feelings _about my comings and goings.

"Really just the goings," Tank said mildly. I blinked back tears and reminded myself that Tank was not only Ranger's second in command, but he was one of his oldest friends. If Ranger really had been bothered by my yo-yo relationship with Morelli, I could understand how Tank could be pissed.

Tank's voiced softened. "Stephanie, I'm _your_ friend, too. But this is a significant commitment of -" He stopped and stared at me for a moment. "Shit," he said. "That's the hook, right? You're making a commitment to Ranger?"

I nodded.

"Steph, there must be a half dozen ways to do that. Buy him a ring. Hell, get his name tattooed on your ass."

I struggled for a moment with how to make Tank understand. "Tank, you know about Ranger's 'there is no price for what we give each other' thing?" I took the subtle tilt of Tank's chin to mean 'yes.' "After talking to Lester, I realized that the only thing Ranger has ever really asked of me is that I let him keep me safe." I paused for a moment. "I guess I haven't always cooperated very well with those requests. Anyway, I want him to know I'm not going to fight him about it anymore," I finished. _And I'm still going to be here a year from now._

In the end, Tank agreed to let me into the trial. "I still think this is a bad idea," he said. "You want this today?"

I nodded. "You realize you need to let Bobby check you tomorrow, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, right?" he asked me.

I nodded again. "I'll be here early tomorrow anyway. After my obligatory exercise time in the gym, we're going to deliver presents to Sue Ann and the other families."

Tank turned his attention to the paperwork. "Ok. Just promise you'll come by and let me check you, too."

"You're working, Tank? I thought Bobby was on monitors?" Tank rubbed his neck absentmindedly. Yeah, I can't remember the last time Ranger took off for Christmas. So when he suddenly decided to go out of town, we made some adjustments." Tank looked up. "Shit," he said again. "He didn't talk to you about going out of town, did he?"

Tank's Mont Blanc pen stopped mid-air, a good six inches above the paper he was ready to sign.

"Sign away, Tank." I said. I hoped I sounded nonchalant. "It doesn't change a thing." _Except for my plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day._

At least I now knew how I was going to thank Bobby.

_tbc_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Thanks to all of you for sticking with a Christmas story well past Christmas. Virtual hugs to latetolove who bravely offered to serve as a beta for my first multi-chapter story. This story was infinitely better because of her input. **_

_**Ranger's POV**_

On December 23, Trenton awoke to a fresh blanket of snow. It wasn't a surprise, as every meteorologist in the area had been predicting a white Christmas.

The call at midnight about a fire at a client's riverfront warehouse wasn't exactly expected, but these things happen in the security business. It had taken most of the night, but ultimately we were able to determine that a faulty space heater in a night watchman's office, rather than arson, had caused the blaze.

Seeing Steph's RAV4 pull into the parking garage at 6 am … now_ that_ was startling. I had been back at Haywood for less than an hour, just long enough to shower away the smoke and soot and grab a cup of black coffee on my way to the control room. As I watched her ease into the parking space next to the Turbo, I felt a pang of concern while I considered what could get Steph out of bed this early. Nightmares? An early morning intruder at her apartment?

Yet she was smiling when she gave a little finger wave to the camera and moved toward the elevator. My heart beat a little faster as I waited for her to push the button for seven. I was shocked when she hit three instead and moments later entered the gym. She peeled off layers of clothing until she got to down to running shorts and a long-sleeved black t-shirt and climbed onto the treadmill.

After a quick call to Ella to request Steph's favorite pancakes for breakfast, I took the stairs to three, stripped down to running shorts and climbed on the treadmill next to her. I'm a little taller than Stephanie, and my stride is longer. My attitude toward running is a bit more … positive than hers. Nevertheless, I was surprised at how easy it was to match my pace to Steph's. A few adjustments and accommodations, and our feet hit our respective belts in unison, pounding out a companionable rhythm.

"Missed you yesterday," I began. I knew she had been in the building yesterday, and it was unusual our paths hadn't crossed. She shrugged slightly. "Busy day."

I don't really like to talk when I drive. Stephanie calls it my driving zone. Steph doesn't like to talk when she runs. I've teased her about her running zone, but she says she just doesn't want to waste any oxygen on casual conversation.

As we approached mile five, I thought she would be ready to slow down, and we could talk. "You're here early today," I commented.

"Couldn't sleep. Final day for Operation Jolly Old Elf. We deliver presents today."

That seemed liked the opening I needed. "So about Christmas," I began. Steph glanced over at me, a ghost of a smile on her lips. She surprised me by tapping the speed button on her treadmill and breaking into a sprint.

After three-quarters of a mile, she abruptly hopped off the machine and took two steps toward the wall. Facing away from me, she bent at the waist, hands resting on her knees for support. She was breathing heavily.

"Babe," I said. _Why are trying to run away from me?_ I meant to say. "You need to cool down after you run like that. You'll get muscle cramps."

"This is better training," she panted. "In real life, I run as fast as I can after a skip, and when I catch him, I stop. Immediately."

"So do I get to play the role of your skip today?" I asked. I'm pretty sure I was smiling.

"Yeah right," she said. "Like I could catch you."

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close to me. _You caught me a long time ago, Babe."_

"You don't want to hug me. I'm all sweaty and gross."

I leaned over and gave the back of her neck a little lick. _Oh, but you're wrong, Babe. I most definitely do want this. If only I could tell you what else wanted._ "Hmmm," I said. "Salty and sweet and definitely not gross," We stood like that for a moment, her back to my front. Eventually, Steph's breathing slowed.

"About your Christmas present," I began. "What I want to give you is hard to wrap." She was perfectly still in my arms, waiting for me to continue. "My parents are going to Miami so they can spend Christmas with Antonio and his family. My sisters and their families are going, too." I felt Steph's breathing quicken again, and I tried to pull her even closer. "We could go with them." My voice was whisper in her ear. "Go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Big breakfast on Christmas morning after my nieces and nephews open their presents." I pressed a kiss to her neck and hurried on before she could respond, and before I could have second thoughts. "You said you wanted to spend some time with Julie. Rachel said that we could have Julie late on Christmas Day, after they finish celebrating with Ron's family."

"Ranger, I would love to go to Miami with you!" She paused and when she spoke again, her voice sounded sad. "Unfortunately, I already have plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

"Of course," I said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have waited so long to ask_." If only I had talked with Mary Lou a little sooner_. "I should have realized that would have plans to celebrate Christmas with your family."

"It's not my family." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I promised a friend."

I had moved my hands from her waist to her shoulders. When I began to caress her arms, running my fingers down from her shoulders to her elbows, I felt her stiffen and pull away.

It hit me. I hadn't just waited too long to make plans for Christmas. I had waited _too_ _long_. She was spending Christmas with Morelli.

Steph suddenly got the hang of the ESP thing, or maybe her habits were rubbing off on me and I had said that last part out loud. "Morelli? No. Why would I spend the holidays with Joe?" She was facing me now. She wrinkled her forehead and stopped rubbing her shoulder for a moment. "I have a date with Rangeman," she said.

I tried to make sense of the emotions that suddenly welled up and threatened to spill out of the place where I kept them safely locked away most of the time. Anger. Disappointment. Dread. "Which one, Stephanie? Tell me it's not Lester," I said through gritted teeth. Then I remembered the time she spent on three yesterday. "Bobby?" I felt an ache in my chest. "You have a date with Bobby?"

I vaguely noticed she was rubbing her left shoulder again. "Bobby? What? No!" she said. "I didn't say I have a date with _a_ Rangeman. I have a date with Rangeman. I'm working the evening monitor shift."

I was confused. "But that's my shift, or it was until I traded with Bobby."

"Bobby didn't know why you wanted time off, and I owed Bobby for a really, really big favor. I volunteered so he could spend time with Anna."

_That's my Babe. Always trying to do something nice for someone else. _"I bet one of the guys would be happy to take those shifts, Babe." Even on Christmas, I knew that most of the guys would do anything for Stephanie. Triple holiday pay probably wouldn't hurt either.

"Ranger," her voice was firm. "How would one of the guys working Bobby's shift allow me repay his favor?" I saw an odd look cross her face before she continued. "Besides, I have other Rangeman business I need to attend to for the next couple of days."

"Explain."

Steph drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This wasn't the way I had envisioned the unwrapping of your present." She tugged her t-shirt over her head and stood before me in her black sports bra, her arms crossed across her chest. "It's not like you'll have to worry or wonder where I am," she said softly. "Not any more." Her fingers played with a small square of gauze just below her left shoulder."

I peeled off the tape holding the gauze in place and immediately recognized Bobby's handiwork. I had seen it before, when Antonio and Silvio had enrolled in the DOD's implantable GPS trial.

I pulled Steph into my arms and searched her eyes for answers. I hoped I understood, but I needed to hear her say it. I thought I heard my voice crack a little when I urged her again, "Tell me why … please."

She tilted her face and brushed her lips across mine. "Thought you could use a little help keeping me safe, Batman." She deepened the kiss, teasing me with her tongue. "I want to make sure you can find me when I need you … and when you need me."

"I would never have asked this of you," I managed between kisses. Then the reality hit me, and I pulled away from her just enough to meet her gaze. "Tank let you into the trial."

"I met all the qualifications." Her hands fisted in my hair, tugging me closer again. "I'm not planning on going anywhere."

The persistent ringing of my phone finally interrupted our embrace.

"Quite a crowd has gathered in the control room, dear." Ella said matter-of-factly. "It might be a good idea if you scrambled the cameras, or you and Stephanie finished your conversation on seven."

It was a couple of hours before the subject of Christmas came up again. We lay in my bed, wrapped in a tangle of Egyptian cotton sheets. Steph was sprawled across my chest, tracing lazy circles on my skin with her fingertips. I needed to call Tank to ask him to take over my meetings for the day. We were definitely not getting out of bed for the rest of the day.

"We really need to get out of bed and get dressed, " Stephanie sighed. "We have Christmas presents to deliver."

"I'm sorry about _your_ Christmas present, Babe."

"Oh no you don't, Mister." She pushed herself up off my chest and looked me in the eye. "No fair taking your present back."

"You're the one who said you couldn't go to Miami tomorrow, Babe," I protested.

""I thought your gift was that I could meet your family and spend time with Julie," she reminded me. "I'm guessing all of that will still be possible on the day _after_ Christmas. So you can fly down tomorrow and I'll join you on the 26th."

I rolled us so Steph was under me. "Not possible." I brushed light kisses across her eyelids, the tip of her nose and finally her lips, kissing away her look of disappointment. "I'll work monitors with you on the 24th, and we can spend Christmas morning with your family. If you really want to, we can fly down together after our evening shift is over Christmas night." I kissed her again before she could argue. "You know, I have to say I really like the idea of knowing where you are morning and night."

"Not morning, noon and night?" she questioned.

"Now that you work at Rangeman, I pretty much know where you are at noon, Babe."

"So you'll just check the tracker morning and night?"

I took a deep breath before answering her. "No, Steph. Hector will periodically check the signal from your tracker just like he does with Silvio and Antonio. I don't plan to look at the signal at all unless there is some sort of … emergency. I really hope that never happens," I added.

"So you only get your Christmas present if I get kidnapped by another psycho stalker? That hardly seems fair."

"Babe," I gently tilted her chin so she had to look me in the eye. "Your gift to me was that you were willing to sacrifice something important to you because you wanted to make me happy." After a moment, I added, "Anything that keeps you safe makes me happy."

She smiled and snuggled back into my chest. "So, morning and night. You want to call me, or should I just send you a text?"

"If you fell asleep in our bed every night, it would be easy for me to know exactly where you are … every night, every morning."

"Our bed? _We_ have a bed now?"

"We should. We should have a nice big bed in the home that we share, and we should spend as much time there as possible."

I heard a contented moan escape from Steph's lips as my arms tightened around her. "I'd like that," she said.

For both of us, that was the best Christmas present ever.

_**the end**_


End file.
